Boots on the Roof, one of the best solar/wind training providers in the San Francisco bay area, is currently enrolling students into its upcoming Solar PV and Wind Energy training boot camp.  Students can get certified as solar PV installers. The training program includes hands-on labs, classroom activities focusing on solar electric system design, safety regulations, installation and extra business topics related to photovoltaic.  To learn more about dates, locations, and course details,  click here.

Why? The answer is because wiring a building to run off of solar power requires very different technologies and skill sets than wiring a building to run off of the local electrical power grid.

Using local grid power, regular home construction electricians are used to accessing a constant, regulated, steady flow of electricity from the local power grid. All they have to do is distribute that constant flow of electricity throughout the building via the standard residential electrical wiring network.

Solar power, however, is much more complex. Under solar power systems, electricity comes not from the local power grid, but from the sun. Solar panels in the roof convert sunlight to electricity. Consequently, the flow of electricity is neither regulated nor constant. To overcome this problem, electricity generated by the solar panels is stored in battery banks. The batteries, in turn, provide a regulated, steady flow of electricity to the building. If the batteries are depleted, the home electrical network needs to be able to switch seamlessly back over to the local power grid.

All this, obviously, adds an extra layer of complexity to wiring a building’s electrical network. Any electrician specialized in dealing with it will be in high demand in the solar power industry.

How will I use my Solar Power Training Certification–What Does a Solar Electrician Do?

In addition to wiring a home or building with the usual electrical network, a solar electricians must also set up the solar energy battery banks. This is not as easy as it sounds. The solar electrician must know what type of batteries to use, and how many will be needed. If there is more than one battery (as with all but the most basic solar power system there will be), the solar electrician will need to set up load-balancing equipment to charge and deplete the multiple batteries evenly. The electricity will also need to be converted from DC power to the 120-volt AC power used in the building’s wall outlets.

Solar electricians also need to be also to install instrumentation to measure the charge in the battery banks, and control mechanisms to switch over to local grid power when the battery banks are almost drained. Today, very few homes are capable of being powered entirely by solar energy. Most use a combination of solar and grid power, using the solar power produced merely to reduce their monthly power bill.

How Do I Become a Solar Electrician?

At least an Associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field would be the required to qualify as a Solar Electrician. Obviously, a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree you be preferable. If possible, attend a solar school rather than a community college or a vocational school program to get solar panel installation training. Not only will a solar school train you in the specializations needed to work with solar power systems, but you’ll learn more about solar power in general. Both of these will make your degree more attractive for a solar power company, and increase your chances of being hired.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable Energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Installation Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

• They produce free energy;
• Solar panel systems are ecological, they don’t affect the environment or produce residues;
• Energy produced by solar panel systems is drainless;
• Solar panel systems don’t need complicated equipment for processing or transporting the resources, prior their usage.

There are many companies specializing in producing solar panel systems. Solar panel systems work on a simple principle: they convert solar radiation in heat and the heat is used for heating water. Therefore, you can obtain hot water for domestic purposes or for heating systems. Moreover, electricity produced by solar panel systems is far more convenient than the classic energy bill you see every month. There are absolutely no drawbacks when it comes to solar panel systems. Whether you decide to use them for lowering your energy or heating expenses or for gaining independence from the traditional energy networks, solar panel systems are an excellent choice.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar Thermal Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

PV solar panels (PV is short for photovoltaic) are collectors that capture solar radiation or radiant heat from sunlight and convert it to useable energy in the form of electrical current that then can be used to power appliances or other devices within the home or building. Most PV solar panels are connected in arrays that can be either mounted on the roof of a structure, or other places where it will receive the maximum exposure to the sun’s rays. The solar array may then be attached to the electrical system of the house by a cable.

If the house or building is close enough to a utility power grid, it can be added in through a net metering system. This net meter is able to run forwards and backwards so that the consumer can draw wattage from the grid if it is too dark or overcast to generate power. Any overage in wattage generated may be sold back to the grid to be used by other customers.

If a house is not close enough to a utility grid to conveniently hook on, a system of storage batteries can be installed which can store enough electrical current to take care of any power needs until such time as the PV solar panels can capture sunlight again and recharge the batteries. When connected to solar heating systems, photovoltaic solar panels can heat a house or provide hot water.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

A solar hot water system can come in one of several forms. One particular style consists of a tankless hot water system that runs off the electricity generated by solar panels installed on the structure. Whenever hot water is needed, just the hot water that will be used is heated, offering a savings in energy costs to the homeowner because water does not need to be kept heated and circulated in a tank as is done with the older water tank technology.

The other system has specialty plumbing which runs under solar panels and is heated by the radiant heat that is collected by the solar panels. When it also is part of a system that provides heat to the structure, it runs through piping placed in the floors or walls, sending the cooled water back up to be reheated when the sun strikes the solar panels again. This particular configuration might require specialized solar panels installation training to insure that the panels and plumbing cause no damage to the structure in the event of a malfunction.

Even solar hot water systems that are gas fired might have to have electrical circuitry installed to fire the starter or ignition system, so it is still quite possible to gain a saving in energy costs by making use of the electrical energy generated by solar panels, rather than having to buy power from the local utility grid.

Ideally, solar hot water training or solar panels installation training will help someone who is already in the contracting business to integrate this new, green technology into new construction. In addition, the contractor can make this technology available to those who are looking to do remodeling and who want to upgrade from older, less energy-efficient systems. Through these solar training classes, the resulting replacement of the old technology will prove to be a savings both in reduced power usage by the consumer, and will draw less on vanishing resources like the coal now used to generate a significant portion of the electricity consumed today.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar Thermal Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

One of the main issues in the recent US elections focused on government investments and dedication toward finding sustainable, cost-effective energy sources. Not that the world’s supply of oil is near depletion. Besides being harmful to the environment, the world, not just Americans, hates being dependent on foreign oil. Thus, the need to look for sustainable, alternative energy sources.

This move away from oil-powered energy plants, gas-driven cars and use of depletable fuel sources has prompted this present trend toward alternative sources of fuel. As governments and private organizations continue to invest in research and development, technologies that have been known to work well, such as those tapping solar energy, are taking the frontiers. Solar heating training for professionals and skilled workers are in high demand in the construction industry to address the growing need for solar-powered facilities.

The Demand in Numbers

Solar panel installations around the world were nearly 6000 megawatts, more than double the number of solar panel installations in 2007. Demand for solar energy grows at a staggering 30% annually in the last decade and a half. Last year’s increased worldwide demand was due to government attention. Germany’s Feed-in law made it the second largest market in 2008. US markets increased to 357 megawatts; Japan is now the sixth largest market worldwide. PV cell manufacturers worldwide produced a total of 6.85 gigawatts in 2008.

Solar Career Opportunities

Obviously, with the market growing, there’s a surge of jobs and various career opportunities in the solar industry. And it’s only a subset of an even larger industry – renewable energy sources industry. Here are some of the many career opportunities for professionals with solar heating training:

• Sales engineers: It’s a new industry and the demand for highly qualified sales people are on the rise. Sales engineers whose expertise lie in solar panel installations, design of solar heating systems and other custom solar-powered energy-saving products can help speed up the process of bringing clean energy sources to communities.

• Technical support staff: As is the current trend in business, an after-sales support service is vital in keeping customers happy. The renewable energy sources industry needs it’s version of professional staff to man its phone lines, websites and other customer feedback channels. If you’re already familiar with the customer service industry, solar heating training will give you that edge to become part of a highly technical new industry.

• Trainers and Teachers: Solar training is a growing business as well. With new industries spurring a high demand of skilled workers, educational institutions are pooling experts to train workers for the industry. This presents an excellent opportunity for those who already are in the field to take on leadership roles and train others to join them. Engineers, architects and others in the construction and energy industry could obtain more specialized skills with solar training.

The demand in the renewable energy market will be filled some time in the future. But just like the internet, it’s here to stay. Trends will change, practices will improve but those who have positioned themselves as key players when the market was young will remain valuable. So, even if you’re still a bit skeptical, you can’t go wrong with an additional skill.